Your first stumbling steps into Rapture aren’t just frightening — though they are, given that you’ve just witnessed a murder and are yet unaware just how effective a killing machine you’ll become — they’re downright mysterious.

As in many games, you arrive in Rapture after some calamity with no understanding of what preceded you. Luggage is strewn throughout the wrecked bathysphere docks, the suitcases’ owners nowhere in sight. Once life existed here, but what happened to the people?

The tale is slowly illuminated through remnants of the city’s former life. Records made by people going about their days begin to turn up — literal reel-to-reel tape recordings left by citizens of Rapture. Like some 1950s Indiana Jones, you find and listen to archaeological bits of the past, piecing together this place from its many voices.

Of course, this method was old hat even by the time we first found ourselves swimming for our lives as BioShock‘s passenger plane sank into the icy depths of the Atlantic. Fans of System Shock 2 (a game I didn’t play until years later) would recognize the worn trappings instantly. Like so many other games since, BioShock was a post-apocalypse coughing up its many death rattles to explain itself. We missed the world and found only its slowly decaying corpse.

Audio logs, those bits of recordings that serve as tidbits of story recorded by multiple (usually long dead) characters, might have seemed novel even as late as 2008. They were the primary means of imparting the story of Rapture in BioShock, and have been much emulated throughout games ever since. But audio logs, as it turns out, are the QTEs of storytelling. They’re a cheap and dirty shortcut games use to masquerade as if they have full, fleshy worlds, allowing developers to get by with portraying only the bones of those worlds to players. And it’s time we demanded more of games that mean to tell stories.

Characters Without Character

The simple, primary trouble with the ubiquity of the audio log is that it serves as a shortcut for games to dodge including actual characters. Every game from BioShock to Dead Space to the recent Alien: Isolation uses logs in this way. You don’t need to have players interact with anyone if you can give the illusion of interaction.

Audio logs, as it turns out, are the QTEs of storytelling.

Take Dead Space as an example. Audio logs serve the game as a dispensary of information, from exposition to tutorial. You learn early from a log that the best means of fighting necromorphs is through dismemberment, as you listen to one Ishimura engineer warn others with what he’s learned through experience.

Then you get audio logs chronicling the efforts of some of the characters to stop the necromorph threat, and their failures, and eventually you get enough information to piece together how the Ishimura wound up an overrun monster-filled haunted house. You hear the story of two doctors, one a religious fanatic and one increasingly worried that the situation is bad and getting worse. You hear their arguments, you get the sense of some conspiratorial discussions with other characters, and ultimately one is a bad guy you watch get killed and the other becomes your Buddy on the Radio Who Gives Instructions.

The point is that you don’t see any scenes in which these two characters interact. They don’t really interact with you, either, except to occasionally monologize. There are no cutscenes with these guys, they only have to be rendered on-screen once or twice, and yet you feel that they’re people who have done things and have story. You get expository background information about them without ever having to actually deal with them.

You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You’ll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.

Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-56-evolve-hands-on-hotline-miami-2-drama/feed/12K Games,Alien: Isolation,Creative Assembly,Dennaton Games,Devolver Digital,DLC,Evolve,Features,FIRST PERSON SHOOTER,GameFront Podcast,Grand Theft Auto 5,Hotline Miami 2: Wrong NumberWe've been playing the hell out of 2K Games' early press preview of Evolve, Turtle Rock Studios' four-on-one multiplayer shooter, all week. The preview has had a big effect on the impressions of the game among all our staff,We've been playing the hell out of 2K Games' early press preview of Evolve, Turtle Rock Studios' four-on-one multiplayer shooter, all week. The preview has had a big effect on the impressions of the game among all our staff, and a lot of our early doubts about the game have been squashed.
It's only the first thing on our list of topics this week, which also includes the Australian ratings drama surrounding Hotline Miami 2, Nintendo selling the 3DS XL without a battery charging cable, the accidentally leaked Total War: Warhammer and the newly delayed Grand Theft Auto V PC version -- oh, and Phil's upcoming new book, The Space Hero's Guide to Glory: How to Get Off Your Podunk Planet and Master the Final Frontier (shameless plug complete).
You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You'll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.
Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.
This week's podcast team is:
Ron Whitaker, Managing Editor | Follow him on Twitter!
Phil Hornshaw, Senior Editor | Follow him on Twitter
James Heaney, Video Producer | Follow him on Twitter
And here's everything we discuss on the podcast:
Evolve Press Preview Video Coverage
Evolve Gets Fourth Monster, Preorder Deal, And Tons Of DLC
All About Evolve’s Full Slate of Game Modes
Evolve Evacuation Mode Hands-On Impressions
Evolve’s DLC Plan: ‘Never Fracture the Community;’ ‘No Pay to Win’
Evolve’s Phil Robb on Modding: ‘If We Can Do It, We Will Do It’
The Space Hero's Guide to Glory: How to Get Off Your Podunk Planet and Master the Final Frontier, Phil's upcoming new book
GTA 5 PC Delayed to March, System Requirements Confirmed
Grand Theft Auto 5 Screenshots in Glorious 4k Resolution
Hotline Miami 2 Rape Scene Leads to Australian Ban
Devolver & Dennaton: No Plans to Challenge Hotline Miami 2 Rating
Hotline Miami 2 Developer Tells Australians to Pirate the Game
Total War: Warhammer Inadvertently Revealed in Art Book
Mitch and James Freak Out at Alien: Isolation’s Safe Haven DLC (VIDEO)
Total War: Rome 2 Review — Thumbs Down
Total Weekend War: Creative Assembly Finally Fixed Rome II
Steam Forces Game Redemption Changes on Humble BundleGame Frontno57:12Mitch and James Freak Out at Alien: Isolation’s Safe Haven DLC (VIDEO)http://www.gamefront.com/mitch-and-james-freak-out-at-alien-isolations-safe-haven-dlc-video/
http://www.gamefront.com/mitch-and-james-freak-out-at-alien-isolations-safe-haven-dlc-video/#commentsThu, 15 Jan 2015 19:53:41 +0000Phil Hornshawhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=296535Alien: Isolation has a new DLC pack out this week, and video producers Mitchell Saltzman and James Heaney have again...

The new downloadable content offering adds a new Survivor mode map to the game (the eponymous Safe Haven), as well as some new ways to play the existing content already available in the game. First is Salvage, a wave-based game mode that requires players to complete a series of 10 objectives while racing the clock — and being forced to deal with waves of more and more difficult enemies along the way.

There’s also a new Endurance mode, which strings together all the Survivor mode challenges you’ve already got into one big game, the idea being that players try to get through the whole thing in one go without dying. So the more DLC you’ve snagged, the more intense the Endurance mode challenge becomes.

James and Mitch are dedicated to stepping up their Isolation game in this preview after comments on their earlier Alien: Isolation videos were … less than charitable. Fortunately, James has made it through Alien: Isolation’s campaign on Hard mode once already, so he should be at his alien-dodging prime.

Should be.

As always, don’t forget to drop a like and a comment on the video, and subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel for more great previews and walkthroughs.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/mitch-and-james-freak-out-at-alien-isolations-safe-haven-dlc-video/feed/3GameFront’s 10 Best Features of 2014http://www.gamefront.com/gamefronts-10-best-features-of-2014/
http://www.gamefront.com/gamefronts-10-best-features-of-2014/#commentsSat, 10 Jan 2015 00:06:54 +0000Ron Whitakerhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=296084Now that 2014 is officially behind us, it’s a good chance to look back at all that happened in video...

Now that 2014 is officially behind us, it’s a good chance to look back at all that happened in video games — some good, some bad, some provocative.

We publish a lot of features here at GameFront, and sometimes our favorites get overlooked. In an effort to show off the articles we’re most proud of from last year, we’re happy to present – in no particular order — our choices for GameFront’s 10 best features of 2014.

No-Win Situation: The Troubled History of Firefall

This three part series digs into what happened with the “restructuring” of Red 5 Studios and the long-running development of its MMO shooter, Firefall. After speaking with a number of former studio employees, our Phil Hornshaw put together a profile of life at the studio that chronicled the saga of Firefall’s development, including the founding of the company, the roller-coaster ride of investment and missed goals, and the eventual ouster of Mark Kern as chief executive officer.

Steam sales are the savior of every gamer’s collection, and the bane of every gamer’s wallet. In an effort to help you make those crucial decisions on whether or not to buy that game on Steam, we created this handy flowchart. It takes into account not only the price of the game, but several other factors as well.

After the release of Destiny, GameFront Senior Editor Phil Hornshaw got heavily involved in Bungie’s online shooter. As he progressed through the game, he documented his experiences in a series called The Destiny Diaries. The best of those diaries was the second one, in which Phil talks about the the Crucible, Destiny’s player vs. player.

His love/hate relationship with the PvP, combined with his realization that you should play it it justlike Halo, makes this the highlight of the series.

GameFront Editor-in-Chief Janelle Bonanno teamed up with Ryan Morrison, a practicing attorney in New York specializing in video game and technology law who is often found answering gaming legal questions on Reddit as “VideoGameAttorney,” to talk about the trademark battle surrounding The Banner Saga and King.com’s Candy Crush Saga. In this feature, they explain what trademark is, how it works, and what it really means to video games. What did this trademark battle mean in the long run? Click the link to find out!

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/gamefronts-10-best-features-of-2014/feed/0GF Podcast 53: All About Nintendo, GOTY and 2014′s Endhttp://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-53-all-about-nintendo-goty-and-2014s-end/
http://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-53-all-about-nintendo-goty-and-2014s-end/#commentsFri, 26 Dec 2014 21:35:13 +0000Phil Hornshawhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=295467Well, that’s about it for 2014, folks, and in our last podcast of the year, we run down the last...

Well, that’s about it for 2014, folks, and in our last podcast of the year, we run down the last bits of business: the GameFront Game of the Year list.

Our democratically chosen best picks for the year aren’t the only thing on the docket, however. We also talk about the state of Nintendo, which is talking about the new console it’s working on (and what it might take for that machine to be successful). And of course, we’ve still got Destiny on the brain, with a few of our best ideas for how to fix Bungie’s not-quite-MMO shooter in 2015 (at least a few of which are serious).

You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You’ll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.

Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-53-all-about-nintendo-goty-and-2014s-end/feed/1Alien: Isolation,Dark Souls 2,Dragon Age: Inquisition,Features,GameFront Podcast,Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor,Nintendo,The Talos PrincipleWell, that's about it for 2014, folks, and in our last podcast of the year, we run down the last bits of business: the GameFront Game of the Year list. - Our democratically chosen best picks for the year aren't the only thing on the docket, however.Well, that's about it for 2014, folks, and in our last podcast of the year, we run down the last bits of business: the GameFront Game of the Year list.
Our democratically chosen best picks for the year aren't the only thing on the docket, however. We also talk about the state of Nintendo, which is talking about the new console it's working on (and what it might take for that machine to be successful). And of course, we've still got Destiny on the brain, with a few of our best ideas for how to fix Bungie's not-quite-MMO shooter in 2015 (at least a few of which are serious).
You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You'll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.
Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.
This week's podcast team is:
Ron Whitaker, Managing Editor | Follow him on Twitter!
Mitchell Saltzman, Video Producer | Follow him on Twitter!
Phil Hornshaw, Senior Editor | Follow him on Twitter
And here's everything we discuss on the podcast:
The Destiny Diaries – Episode 10: How to Fix Destiny in 2015
Destiny: The Dark Below DLC Review: Crota’s Grind
Miyamoto: Nintendo “Working On” Next Console
GameFront’s Game of the Year 2014
GameFront Staff’s Top Games of 2014Game Frontno1:18:07GameFront’s Game of the Year 2014http://www.gamefront.com/gamefronts-game-of-the-year-2014/
http://www.gamefront.com/gamefronts-game-of-the-year-2014/#commentsTue, 23 Dec 2014 19:37:44 +0000GameFront Staffhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=295176It’s that time of year again – the time when we hand out our Game of the Year award. This...

It’s that time of year again – the time when we hand out our Game of the Year award.

This is never an easy decision. Even in a year with as many problems as 2014, there are still a lot of games that could be in the discussion for Game of the Year. If you want to see how each of our staff members ranked the games of 2014, make sure you check out our Staff’s Top 5 lists.

After much discussion and discourse, we happily present to your our consensus top 5 games of the year, and our Game of the Year for 2014.

I’m going cut to the chase right away: Dark Souls 2 is just as incredible as both prior games in the Souls series.

It’s the rare 50-plus-hour game that never feels padded, never feels like it is wasting your time, and constantly provides the player with unforgettable moments of both triumph and failure. It’s the rare sequel that manages to retain all of the core aspects of what makes the series so spectacular, while changing nearly everything around that core to allow the game to have its own unique identity.

And all of these changes come without compromising the brutal difficulty for which the series has gained such a notorious reputation. In fact, in many ways, Dark Souls 2 is even harder than its predecessors. It’s certainly not for everyone, and that’s a shame, because Dark Souls 2 is a prime example of how rewarding and satisfying playing video games can be.

This is The Talos Principle: You’re a living human playing a computer simulation as a robot playing a computer simulation, and answering philosophical questions posed by another computer about the nature of what it is to be a person.

That’s where The Talos Principle really captures some magic as a game: it pulls you in and engages you on a number of levels, with its huge series of puzzles, its narrative, its meta-narrative, and its meta-meta-narrative. Even if it were just a straight puzzler, it would be a great game whose conundrums constantly belie conceptually simple solutions that usually require you to simply adjust your thinking a bit. It’s constantly rewarding you with those moments in which you exclaim, “Of course!” when a nagging solution suddenly becomes obvious.

But there’s a lot more ambition at play from Croteam and writers Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (The Sea Will Claim Everything). The deep discussions of philosophy and humanity might interest everyone, but The Talos Principle does a beautiful job of utilizing the medium of games to convey ideas and narrative in a uniquely “video game” way.

It’s a game that aspires to be more than what we traditionally expect, and one that has an intangible quality that makes it more than the sum of its parts. It’ll stay with you after you’ve completed it and call you back to explore its hidden corners to see what else you’ll uncover there.

The major triumph of Inquisition is how well the world is built around you. There are so many little things to find, whether it’s notes from people long gone, tomes of ancient wisdom, or just an abandoned old bottle of wine, and each of them helps make the world feel more real.

The story presents choices that remind us that even when you’re striving for good, there are myriad ways to reach the destination you have in mind. Should you execute the man who tried to kill you, slap him in chains, or put him to work? All of the decisions you make have repercussions, as certain party members or even entire factions may object to your choices. Better than either of the previous Dragon Age games, Inquisition makes you feel as if you’re affecting the world with nearly every choice you make.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is a huge moment for Bioware. In crafting a stellar RPG, it has shown those who thought the developer might be past its prime that it still has what it takes. Bioware also assuages the fears of folks like me, who thought the company was ditching high-end PC titles for console parity. In short, the developers have gone a long way toward winning me back.

Regardless of how you feel about Bioware, you owe it to yourself to give Dragon Age: Inquisition a try. It’s a great game from start to finish, one that lets you do just about whatever you want, and then rewards you for just about all of it. While it does have some minor problems, they don’t detract from the quality of the whole. The way the world responds to, and builds itself around, your character makes Inquisition a must-play for any RPG enthusiast.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/gamefronts-game-of-the-year-2014/feed/11GF Podcast 52: Game of the Year, Telltale’s Minecrafthttp://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-52-game-of-the-year-telltales-minecraft/
http://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-52-game-of-the-year-telltales-minecraft/#commentsMon, 22 Dec 2014 22:57:52 +0000Phil Hornshawhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=295146We’re closing in on our final podcast of 2014, so it’s time to talk about the Game of the Year....

We’re closing in on our final podcast of 2014, so it’s time to talk about the Game of the Year.

Since there are so many games and so few staffers at GameFront, we’ve decided to start our GOTY countdown with a series of personal Top 5 of the Year lists. This podcast, we talk about our very favorites titles from 2014, as well as some interesting news, including the announcement from Microsoft that Telltale Games will produce an adventure title in the Minecraft franchise, and Valve’s flipflop decision on allowing massacre simulator Hatred on its Steam digital distribution portal.

You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You’ll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.

Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-52-game-of-the-year-telltales-minecraft/feed/0Alien: Isolation,Dark Souls 2,Destiny,Features,GameFront Podcast,Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions,Microsoft,Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor,Minecraft: Story Mode,PC,The Talos Principle,The Walking Dead: Season 2We're closing in on our final podcast of 2014, so it's time to talk about the Game of the Year. - Since there are so many games and so few staffers at GameFront, we've decided to start our GOTY countdown with a series of personal Top 5 of the Year lis...We're closing in on our final podcast of 2014, so it's time to talk about the Game of the Year.
Since there are so many games and so few staffers at GameFront, we've decided to start our GOTY countdown with a series of personal Top 5 of the Year lists. This podcast, we talk about our very favorites titles from 2014, as well as some interesting news, including the announcement from Microsoft that Telltale Games will produce an adventure title in the Minecraft franchise, and Valve's flipflop decision on allowing massacre simulator Hatred on its Steam digital distribution portal.
You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You'll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.
Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.
This week's podcast team is:
Janelle Bonanno, Editor-in-Chief | Follow her on Twitter!
Ron Whitaker, Managing Editor | Follow him on Twitter!
Mitchell Saltzman, Video Producer | Follow him on Twitter!
Phil Hornshaw, Senior Editor | Follow him on Twitter
James Heaney, Video Producer | Follow him on Twitter
And here's everything we discuss on the podcast:
Telltale Games Is Making A Minecraft Story Game
Janelle’s Top 5 Games of 2014
Mitch’s Top 5 Games of 2014
James’ Top 5 Games of 2014
Phil’s Top 5 Games of 2014
Ron’s Top 5 Games of 2014
Destiny: The Dark Below DLC Review: Crota’s Grind
Gabe Newell Apologizes for Pulling Mass Shooter Greenlight GameGame Frontno1:01:34GameFront Staff’s Top Games of 2014http://www.gamefront.com/gamefront-staffs-top-games-of-2014/
http://www.gamefront.com/gamefront-staffs-top-games-of-2014/#commentsThu, 18 Dec 2014 03:45:06 +0000Phil Hornshawhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=294903It’s the end of the year, and time for the inevitable deluge of Game of the Year lists. Here at...

It’s the end of the year, and time for the inevitable deluge of Game of the Year lists. Here at GameFront, we have a tendency to play a lot of games, but that doesn’t mean the staff always plays the same games.

With that in mind, we’re laying down not just one Game of the Year list, but a whole series — one for each staffer. Each day, we’ll drop another new Top 5 list, culminating in our site-wide ultimate Game of the Year.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/gamefront-staffs-top-games-of-2014/feed/1James’ Top 5 Games of 2014http://www.gamefront.com/james-top-5-games-of-2014/
http://www.gamefront.com/james-top-5-games-of-2014/#commentsWed, 17 Dec 2014 21:58:22 +0000James Heaneyhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=294843Editor’s Note: All this week, we’ll be featuring the top 5 games of 2014 from each of our individual staffers,...

Editor’s Note: All this week, we’ll be featuring the top 5 games of 2014 from each of our individual staffers, culminating in our Game of the Year announcement next week. Stay tuned!

In 2014, there were a lot of brain-numbing, trashy titles I wish I could include on my list in the same way I’d like to include Evil Dead on my favorite films list. Games like Roundabout, I am Bread, Goat Simulator, and Five Night’s at Freddy’s 1 and 2 gave me lots of laughs and undeniably great times.

In fact when I look back on 2014, I will fondly remember it as the year of ridiculous games. While they each leave an impression, I don’t think they truly earn a spot on my favorites list. The following games I feel simply shined just a little brighter:

5. The Sims 4

It was more difficult for me to choose this last spot than any of the others. In fact, when I first put it on my list, I was certain it was just a placeholder to use until I remembered my real fifth favorite.

It ends up, however, that The Sims 4 earns its place on my list the same way it tricks me into playing it for hours at a time. You barely even notice that this life simulation has burned an hour out of your day because you are grinning ear to ear, drunk with the power of being the Immortal wing man to your Sim.

When I look at my Origin account and see that I have dropped 40 hours into this game, all I can think is that I need to drop at least that many more to get the real feel of The Sims 4. And Maxis has provided free updates that have added more variety and depth to a title I already struggle to exhaust.

4. Wasteland 2

I have never played the original Wasteland, but I’d describe its sequel as taking the world and humor of the Fallout series and mixing its gameplay with XCOM. The leveling system is complex and makes each playthrough very different. Sure, I got frustrated with it’s unforgiving nature, but it has yet to break me. I feel the normal difficulty is perhaps too punishing at times.

On the flipside, when I walked away from a battle I had just won, I felt like I missed my calling as a general. What I find fantastic about Wasteland 2 is how bite-sized the gameplay comes across to me. Likely half of the 40-plus hours I have played it were on bus rides in Los Angeles.

Wasteland 2 is a game that I am thankful I can put down just as easily as I pick it up. It does not demand an hour of gameplay to feel like you have reached a “bookmarkable” moment.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/james-top-5-games-of-2014/feed/0Phil’s Top 5 Games of 2014http://www.gamefront.com/phils-top-5-games-of-2014/
http://www.gamefront.com/phils-top-5-games-of-2014/#commentsTue, 16 Dec 2014 23:31:31 +0000Phil Hornshawhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=294557Editor’s Note: All this week, we’ll be featuring the top 5 games of 2014 from each of our individual staffers,...

Editor’s Note: All this week, we’ll be featuring the top 5 games of 2014 from each of our individual staffers, culminating in our Game of the Year announcement next week. Stay tuned and check out Ron’s Top 5 right here!

Oh, 2014: the Year of the Hype. So many towering games finally saw their releases this year, only to stumble with bad launches and oversold ideas.

Building my Game of the Year list this year has been a struggle. I played so many games that I did so little for me, or that I thought were “good, but…”. There’s a whole slew of titles that were fun in one moment, infuriating in another, or — as was much more likely — simply lukewarm, tepid, and kinda dull.

Delving back into the list of games I’ve played this year, however, I did come away with some standouts. They’re decidedly not the biggest games of the year. They’re often hype-minimal. But in a year in which many games dodged taking risks or recycled much from the last console generation, these were the titles that stuck with me.

5. The Banner Saga

Stoic Games’ Kickstarted Viking tactical RPG is a game that makes you feel like you’re always losing — and I mean that in the best way possible. With your village in shambles and your people under threat from an ancient enemy, you set out to lead them to safety, your a huge caravan crossing a vast and snowy fantasy world. The sun has ceased to set and the end of the world seems nigh, and everyone looks to you to keep them alive.

The Banner Saga is an intense, and often tragic, game. Primarily it has players conducting turn-based battles on a grid-covered battlefield, managing a party of fighters and some bits of gear, and making decisions for the caravan in between fights. You have to keep everyone fed and rested, and you’ll run into story decision points repeatedly where your call can have life-or-death consequences.

The narrative thread at work in The Banner Saga is a strong one, and it expertly makes you wonder if you’re not the worst leader ever pretty much constantly. (This is a good thing.) Starving villagers and traitorous party members keep things lively, but ultimately it’s a game that sells a desperate atmosphere of encroaching despair, with some great tactical battles along the way. Plus its art style and soundtrack are gorgeous.

4. The Walking Dead – Season 2

I’m a sucker for Telltale Games’ brand of storytelling, and after the strong showing that was The Walking Dead – Season 1, I was pretty excited for more of the same. And the vast majority of Season 2 didn’t disappoint.

Telltale’s new protagonist, the young girl Clementine, is easily my favorite character from this year (and quite possibly ever), even with the many possible different Clementine iterations that can come out of the game’s choices. Like Telltale’s other titles, Season 2 is a light adventure game mostly focused on dialogue choices. Clementine’s story of how she finds a band of survivors and first becomes part of their group, and then its moral center, was something I found particularly engaging.

While the ending of Season 2 — while very powerful — weakened the rest of the story for me, I can’t get over how intense and fascinating I found each new episode as it dropped during the year. We need more Clementine, and I can’t wait to see what Telltale might have in mind for the continuation of the franchise.

3. Gods Will Be Watching

Gods Will Be Watching is a hard game. An adventure title made up of several one-scene scenarios that combine to tell a story, it constantly puts players in positions where there’s no clear winning. In one, you have to survive on an inhospitable planet by gathering food, keeping warm, and trying to fix your radio to get yourself rescued. In another, you have to withstand torture. Another asks you how you’ll deal with a group of hostages you’ve taken as you try to steal some important information.

All of the game’s scenarios are losing ones, in which you’ll eventually have to make sacrifices — especially because the game might wind up and bitch-slap you any time, thanks to random chances of failure. Sounds a lot like life, in fact. Gods Will Be Watching is a game that’s not afraid to be frustrating, difficult, and sometimes just shy of unwinnable, because its developers aren’t giving you a game to win, they’re using gameplay and storytelling to convey a feeling and deliver an experience. Although a patch offered easier difficulty levels if you’re too frustrated, the experience developer Deconstructeam wanted to convey requires playing it as it was originally intended.

As a game that wishes to affect its players in a particular way, Gods Will Be Watching is enormously successful.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/phils-top-5-games-of-2014/feed/1GF Podcast 51: Alien Sequel, Dark Below, and Xbox One Saleshttp://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-51-alien-sequel-dark-below-and-xbox-one-sales/
http://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-51-alien-sequel-dark-below-and-xbox-one-sales/#commentsTue, 16 Dec 2014 16:50:25 +0000Ron Whitakerhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=294504Welcome to the 51st episode of the GameFront podcast! We’re a bit late posting this one, but to make up...

Welcome to the 51st episode of the GameFront podcast! We’re a bit late posting this one, but to make up for it, we’ve got a lot going on in this episode.

First up, we talk about the possibility of a sequel to Alien: Isolation, and what that might be. Then we get Mitch and Phil to chime in on Destiny’s Dark Below expansion and the changes that came along with it. Follow those up with a little discussion on the Steam Auction and the upcoming sale, the Xbox One vs. PS4 sales numbers, and the delay of Witcher 3. We even toss in a teaser for our Game of the Year coverage.

You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You’ll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.

Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/gf-podcast-51-alien-sequel-dark-below-and-xbox-one-sales/feed/0Activision,Alien: Isolation,Bungie,CD Projekt Red,Creative Assembly,Destiny,Features,FIRST PERSON SHOOTER,GameFront Podcast,PC,Playstation 3,Playstation 4Welcome to the 51st episode of the GameFront podcast! We're a bit late posting this one, but to make up for it, we've got a lot going on in this episode. - First up, we talk about the possibility of a sequel to Alien: Isolation, and what that might be.Welcome to the 51st episode of the GameFront podcast! We're a bit late posting this one, but to make up for it, we've got a lot going on in this episode.
First up, we talk about the possibility of a sequel to Alien: Isolation, and what that might be. Then we get Mitch and Phil to chime in on Destiny's Dark Below expansion and the changes that came along with it. Follow those up with a little discussion on the Steam Auction and the upcoming sale, the Xbox One vs. PS4 sales numbers, and the delay of Witcher 3. We even toss in a teaser for our Game of the Year coverage.
You can find everything we discuss in the links below. You'll also want to subscribe to the GameFront YouTube Channel and the GameFront Twitch Channel for more coverage of Destiny and lots of other stuff, as well as all our other daily streaming shows, guides, and whatnot.
Feel free to hit us up with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions and hate mail at podcast@gamefront.com.
This week's podcast team is:
Ron Whitaker, Managing Editor | Follow him on Twitter!
Mitchell Saltzman, Video Producer | Follow him on Twitter!
Phil Hornshaw, Senior Editor | Follow him on Twitter
James Heaney, Video Producer | Follow him on Twitter
And here's everything we discuss on the podcast:
Creative Assembly: Alien: Isolation Sequel is a 'Daily Topic'
The Destiny Diaries – Episode 9: Kicking Crota’s Ass (and Other Parts)
All our Destiny coverage
Rumor: Steam Winter Sale Kicks Off Next Week
Valve Launches First Steam "Holiday Auction"
Valve Puts Steam Auctions On Hold After Gem Exploit
Xbox One Beats PS4′s Sales in November
The Witcher 3 Delayed, Now Launching in May 2015
Witcher 3 Dev: Gamers "Afraid of Badly Polished Games"Game Frontno1:10:47Ron’s Top 5 Games of 2014http://www.gamefront.com/rons-top-5-games-of-2014/
http://www.gamefront.com/rons-top-5-games-of-2014/#commentsMon, 15 Dec 2014 18:13:58 +0000Ron Whitakerhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=294380Editor’s Note: All this week, we’ll be featuring the top 5 games of 2014 from each of our individual staffers,...

Editor’s Note: All this week, we’ll be featuring the top 5 games of 2014 from each of our individual staffers, culminating in our Game of the Year announcement next week. Stay tuned!

No matter what your year has been like, you should be able to agree with me on this: 2014 was an interesting year for video games.

Old franchises returned, new franchises sprung up, and indie games continued to play a major role in the industry. Somehow, the year as a whole feels a little disappointing. There were the launch issues with online games (again), and there’s no sign of companies getting better at rolling them out. Games that we really wanted to play this year got delayed (The Witcher 3) or even cancelled (Prey 2). Still, 2014 managed to toss out some solid titles that are definitely worthy of this top 5 list.

Here we go.

5. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

Borderlands is one of those games that you either love or hate. It’s so distinctive in its design that you rarely finds someone who’s just middle of the road about it. After sinking hundreds of hours into Borderlands 2, I was skeptical of Gearbox’s plan to let someone else make a sequel, especially given how that had worked out on other games. Luckily, 2K Australia took the franchise and knocked out a quality sequel that’s great at scratching that Borderlands itch.

Set between the two existing Borderlands titles, The Pre-Sequel tells the story of Handsome Jack’s rise to power with the same irreverent humor and ridiculous amounts of firepower as the first two games. Add in the really cool implementation of low gravity on the moon, and you’ve got yourself another 100+ hours of entertainment.

4. Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age lost its way as a series with the disappointing Dragon Age 2, and I was curious to see how Bioware would bounce back, especially since the Mass Effect 3 controversy had left such a bad taste in the mouths of so many fans. Dragon Age: Inquisition was a major bounce-back title for the studio, and one that was desperately needed.

Casting you as the leader of The Inquisition, the latest Dragon Age pits you against a relentless evil, and succeeds by keeping that threat front and center. As you progress through Inquisition’s beautiful, varied landscapes, you’ll find yourself constantly working not only to improve the lot of the Inquisition, but to stave off the threat that looms over the entire world. It’s a departure from the smaller scale worries of Dragon Age 2, and the game is much improved for it.

Inquisition is everything you’d expect from a Bioware title: Plenty of customization alongside lots of story. Give it a chance, and you’ll find yourself immersed in everything the continent of Thedas has to offer.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/rons-top-5-games-of-2014/feed/1Creative Assembly: Alien: Isolation Sequel is a ‘Daily Topic’http://www.gamefront.com/creative-assembly-alien-isolation-sequel-is-a-daily-topic/
http://www.gamefront.com/creative-assembly-alien-isolation-sequel-is-a-daily-topic/#commentsFri, 12 Dec 2014 16:00:52 +0000Ron Whitakerhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=294073Note: There are spoilers for the plot of Alien: Isolation in this story. If you haven’t finished it and don’t...

Note: There are spoilers for the plot of Alien: Isolation in this story. If you haven’t finished it and don’t want to see them, it’s best to move on to another story!

A possible Alien: Isolation sequel’s plot is “a daily topic in the studio sometimes,” according to the game’s lead designer.

If comments made by Alien: Isolation lead designer Gary Napper are any indication, there’s quite a bit of discussion at Creative Assembly about a sequel to the game and what its plot could be. In an interview with AvPGalaxy, Napper said,

“The plot for a sequel is a daily topic in the studio sometimes. People have their own ideas for where it should go, our writers have some solid concepts and yes, we do have a great opportunity to continue her story. I personally think that Amanda did not get infected in the hive, as when she wakes, the closest egg remains closed…”

Napper also said that if a sequel were to materialize, it wouldn’t depart from the tense atmosphere of Alien: Isolation.

“I think the action oriented ‘Aliens’ style game is very different from what Isolation is. If we made a sequel I would like to stick to the same terrifying single Alien approach but do more with the environment and interactivity within it.”

That’s certainly good news, and the atmosphere of Isolation is what made it one of my favorite games of the year. Plus, we’ve all seen what happens when you take an Alien game too far toward the action side of things, right?

We’ll keep our eye out for more information on a possible sequel, but for now, we’re just going to try to get through Isolation’s recently released Nightmare difficulty. Let us know if you make it through.

As you might guess from their names, these new modes will be at opposite ends of the difficulty spectrum. Here are a few of the features of each:

Novice:

Less menacing Alien: The alien will be less aggressive, and will adapt to your tactics more slowly. It will also be easier to distract. In addition, your hiding places will be more effective.

Less dangerous combat: Androids are easier to defeat, the survivors you encounter will be weaker, and Ripley will be more resilient.

More resources: There’s more ammo available to you, and the frequency of components will be increased.

While novice mode sounds like it’ll let you play the game mostly for the story and the experience, Nightmare mode is something altogether different. Instead of making things easier, it’s going to make them much, much harder.

Nightmare:

Broken Motion Tracker: Your motion tracker will only have a distorted signal, and its information will be unreliable.

Authentic Flamethrower: Flamethrower fuel will be much more rare, and will be consumed much faster.

Reduced Resources: Survivors will not drop ammo, and there will be fewer items to scavenge.

Less Game Feedback: There will be no health bar, no ammo counter, and no flashlight indicator.

More Dangerous Enemies: Androids will hit harder, and survivors will be more deadly.

More Hostile Environment: The map system will be offline, and it will be harder to hack systems than on other difficulty settings.

Ultimate Alien: The alien will be more aggressive, will adapt to your tactics faster, and there are no second chances.

In other words, Nightmare mode is going to be the ultimate Alien challenge. It sounds like something wee’re going to have to challenge our resident Alien junkie, Senior Editor Phil Hornshaw, to complete. You can fully expect to see that on our Twitch channel very soon.

]]>http://www.gamefront.com/alien-isolation-adds-novice-and-nightmare-difficulty-modes/feed/1Watch Our Top 5 Holy Shit Moments of 2014http://www.gamefront.com/watch-our-top-5-holy-shit-moments-of-2014/
http://www.gamefront.com/watch-our-top-5-holy-shit-moments-of-2014/#commentsThu, 04 Dec 2014 13:41:48 +0000Ron Whitakerhttp://www.gamefront.com/?p=293342Every year, there are some moments in games that just make you say “Holy shit!” They might be startling moments,...

Every year, there are some moments in games that just make you say “Holy shit!” They might be startling moments, unexpected story twists, betrayals, or something even more abrupt. Whatever causes them, these moments are some of the most fun to look back on in games.

That’s why our Mitchell Saltzman collects the best of these moments every year and shares them with you in video form. This year’s installment can be seen above. Enjoy!